Another wet day to add to the books. I added up the rainfall from July 1st through the 7th. We have received 7.83". No wonder I feel a little water logged. On a brighter note, as you can see in the picture, the vegetation is a lush green. You can definitely tell we live in a temperate rainforest. The crew is starting to go a little crazy. You can hear the moans when we tell them the weather forecast for the day. You know it is bad when we hear a forecast for partly cloudy and we get excited because we might get to see the sun for a couple of minutes. Ahhh, life on the mountain. "Some days are diamonds. Some days are stone." -John Denver.

Some one asked about Rainbow falls trail. We are telling people it is not a good idea to hike that trail with all of the water coming off the mountain. We have had some people report about impassable streams. We are advising people to travel Bullhead trail if they are wanting to hike in that area. The temperatures on the mountain are still chilly. The high yesterday was 60 with a low of 53. Please remember, it is best to wear clothing that is quick drying. Bring an extra change of clothes and socks for when you reach the top. You will be wet. Take your time, the rocks are extremely slick. Remember, it is not a race and be safe.

Mary F

7/8/2013 12:37:54 am

See you this Friday, I'll try to capture a little piece of the sun and bring it with me :-). WNC has had so much rain, we are growing webbed feet!

Trey Cornette

7/8/2013 12:59:50 am

Coming up the mountain on sunday and will be bringing a bucket of sunshine with me :)

Gina

7/8/2013 01:55:06 am

Its trying to peek out over here in the Valley, I hope it makes its way up to you.

Susan B

7/8/2013 02:10:55 am

One week and we'll be on top of our favorite mountain! Please God let the rain stop and let the sunshine come out. I don't mind alittle rain but not the lightning/thunder and / or monsoon.

Happy Safe Hiking!

tomk in SC

7/8/2013 06:59:11 am

Susan: I hiked up in the rain on the 4th. I wore a ballcap to keep the rain out of my eyes and microfiber shirt and shorts and a pair of shorts for modesty. The rain was constant, but fairly light to moderate. I was quite comfortable all the way up. I was comfortable at the top once I dried out and changed. Had the rain been heavy enough to begin to chill me down, I would have donned my rain jacket. Not sure what trail you will use, but Rainbow and Trillium may not be great choices. Rainbow due to the recent report (by unprepared hikers) of impassability just above the falls and Trillium due to our group experience of walking up a constant river. Alum was just fine.
All that to say "Go, go to your favorite mountain!" Rain or shine it's an awesome place to be. Listen to the rain on the roof and watch LeConte Falls cascade down the stairs on the way to the Dining Room. Just don't trust the flat rocks about level with the top of the puddles. They shift and slosh! I was there in the rain and didn't see the reflections of wet rockers on rainswept porches that Allyson saw and captured so well. I just saw the wet rockers. Take ALL of LeConte in, whatever the weather. Weather or not.

Susan B

7/8/2013 07:59:58 am

Yes Tom, I absolutely plan on going! I've told my younger daughter ponchos are packed unless it gets really bad. I plan on Alum this year and hitting the trail early. We'll also be camping at Elkmont and i've already packed the larger tarp to protect us alittle more.

Everyone start praying that the rain will take a break!

Ryan--La

7/8/2013 05:40:22 am

Morning to all up top, I was in Gatlinburg on the 4th, 5th and 6th kept on looking up and only saw the top of leconte about three times. I don't mind getting caught in the rain, but I don't start hiking in it. We played it safe and took some good advise and hung around town. We did get to do Laurel Falls and it was running, also saw mama bear with 4 that's four cubs. She has got here work cut out for her this year. Watched the fireworks from our hotel room balcony at the Riverside. Could anyone see the fire works from up top?

Debi

7/8/2013 06:53:47 am

Ryan, we stayed up top on the 4th and it was so socked in we couldn't see a thing. When I seen Allyson and Chris on the way down I asked if they even had fireworks down below. We were up there and didn't hear or see anything. Of course we were in bed by 8:30 It was real rainy on the way up, but not too bad on the way down. Trails of course were real went with one down tree on Alum that was real rotted. But we didn't need our umbrellas on the way down except in one spot by the bluffs. We were listening to Ranger Mark in the office about 7:45 pm that night when a young couple came back in and said were stranded. They had under estimated Rainbow trail going down and couldn't get across the stream. They ended up staying. But then 4 other people crossed it and they came up. They had reservations. I don't know how deep it was, but sure am glad those kids didn't take the chance and came back. Allyson, try telling that to my guys. Its not a race. I could barely keep up with them on the way down. I get very uneasy when I have to go down rocks. They really slow me down. So when I hit a flat spot on the trail, I will run to catch up with them. Not so I will kill myself. I figure they'll look back eventually and says Ohhh, we lost your mother. lol

Susan B

7/8/2013 08:29:30 am

Debi - maybe we can trade at some point. My 13 old daughter stays with me but doesn't allow you to take a breather or a chug of water. "Move, move, move, let's go" is what she tells me. To be 13 again and to able to just go!!
And no, it's not a race but why is it that we compare our time from the last hike!

tomk is SC

7/8/2013 10:23:41 am

Our large group always breaks up into smaller bunches by pace. It's not a formal thing, it's just hard to walk fast if you want to walk slowly and vice versa. For me, it's a cardio/exercise event and the time is important, just to see how the old bones are doing. An annual check of sorts. My wife is just the opposite, pace doesn't matter. She really enjoys conversations with friends on the way up, often arriving anywhere from one too two hours behind. Another slow group is the flora ID set that has to stop and catalog all the plants along the way. I have near zero talent in that direction, but know how much those that know such things enjoy seeing them. To each his own. It's all good.
As to drinking water, that's a must, don't let anyone curtail fluid uptake, especially if it is hot/humid. Dehydrating isn't a problem until it is, and then a lot of bad things happen. Be the momma bear and make them believe you will <insert whatever works here> if they don't hydrate! Have a great hike!

Ryan--La

7/8/2013 10:35:45 am

Hi Susan B. your daughter is young and full of energy. I guess when you get as mature as me the saying ( It's not about the destination but the journey itself) takes on a hole new meaning. My gal and I took her kids up Alum for Christmas a couple of years ago and she was worried they would get lost. I told her they would get tired before they would get lost. Sure enough they were sitting on a log not far up the trail. We made it to the cave and turned around, on the way down she kept on telling them to slow down. I told her don't worry they would slow down shortly. Sure enough not far down the trail they were both limping. Someone forgot to tell them about blisters. I asked the kids the next morning if they wanted to go hiking and before I could finish they both replied no ser. It's nice to be young. They also mention that the next time, slower would be better and if the saying ( walking through the forest but not seeing the trees) had anything to do with blisters. We gust laughed

Cincy Mark

7/10/2013 06:03:19 am

When I hike in a group, we always spread out by trail pace. I have six Motorola radios, and we keep in touch using those. While we hardly actually talk over the radios, it is nice to know you can. Last word on the radios, the range claim is very lofty. If you are on one side of the mountain, and the others aren't, it is hard to make contact. If the claim is 25 mile range, in the Smokies it is more like two!

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LeConte Lodge

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